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You can declare and file for bankruptcy more than once, but can only obtain a Discharge of your debts once every 8 years. If you've previously filed bankruptcy and received a discharge, you can still file bankruptcy within 8 years, but are not eligible for a Discharge of your debts. Consult with an attorney to determine your best course of action under such circumstances.

There are mandatory waiting periods between case filings depending on the chapter number of the prior bankruptcy and the current bankruptcy, and the number of years that have lapsed between the filings. Here is a breakdown taken from the United States Bankruptcy Court - Central District of Californias website:

1. Prior bankruptcy = Chapter 7 or 11, and current bankruptcy = Chapter 7: 8 years after date that the prior bankruptcy case was filed.

3. Prior bankruptcy = Chapter 13, and current bankruptcy = Chapter 7: (1) No mandatory waiting period if 100% of claims were paid in the prior chapter 13 bankruptcy; (2) No mandatory waiting period if 70% of claims were paid in prior chapter 13 bankruptcy and the chapter 13 Plan was proposed in good faith and was the debtors best effort; (3) 6 years after date that prior bankruptcy case was filed, if less than 70% (and up to 100%) of claims were not paid in the prior chapter 13 bankruptcy case.

4. Prior bankruptcy = Chapter 13, and current bankruptcy = Chapter 13: 2 years after date that the prior bankruptcy case was filed

It depends on the chapters filed, and yes there is a time limit in between. You can file as many times as you want, but you can only receive a discharge if the requisite time has passed from the filing date of the prior case. Generally for Chapter 7 this is every 8 years; Chapter 13 every 4 years. There are a lot more qualifications and nuances to this, so you need to check with a bankruptcy attorney about your personal situation (or, post a more specific question here).

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